Chevrolet presents fully electric drag racer

The American automobile manufacturers have surprised with the presentation of a fully electric drag racer named COPO Camaro with 515 kW performance and an 800 volt architecture.

Originally, the COPO Camaro models were introduced to the market 50 years ago and made to special order. Now, Chevrolet has added a modern equivalent to the product line up for drag racers and according to the Zeitgeist, this one is a fully electric car.

The new COPO Camaro concept was developed together with racing specialists Hancock and Lane Racing and boasts more than 700 HP and 813 Nm torque. Chevrolet has stated they estimate the electric vehicle can do a quarter mile race in about 9 seconds.

The original 1969 COPO Camaro was specially designed to compete in the NHRA Stock Eliminator. The name is derived from the Central Office Production Order system, which allowed for a more modular and customisable setup.

The new concept is also designed to showcase specific Chevrolet technologies, and was described by Russ O’Blenes, director for Performance Variants, Parts and Motorsports at GM as such: “The eCOPO Concept is all about where we go in the future with electrification in the high performance space. The original COPO Camaro program was all about pushing the envelope, and this concept is an exploration with the very same spirit.”

Technically speaking, the concept boasts a pair of BorgWarner motors, generating 407 Nm of torque each and taking full advantage of the 800 volt architecture to eliminate charging times between rounds. The battery pack is made of four 200 volt modules, two of which are located in the rear seat area and the other two are located in the trunk.

Further racing customisation is of course also not lacking, with items such as a roll-cage as well as strategic weight redistribution to allow for more efficient vehicle launching. The other components have not been modified all that much compared to the combustion version, with the driveshaft, transmission and drivetrain components of the Chevrolet electric car located in the same places as the combustion COPO Camaro drag racer.

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